


Poignant Postcognition

by langmaor



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Panic Attacks, Triggers, Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 13:26:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12109689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/langmaor/pseuds/langmaor
Summary: "I know," Lana said, love in her eyes as she grasped Julia's hand. "And I can't tell you how angry that makes me, at everybody who treated you that way, who made you feel like you weren't- you weren't important enough..."





	Poignant Postcognition

**Author's Note:**

> Postcognition - having knowledge of a past event which could not have been learned or inferred by normal means.

"...Seliph, you _idiot_..."

The exclamation surprised the boy in question, coming from the usually pleasant Lana. He raised an eyebrow at her, confused as to what he had done to deserve this. With a soft clink, he placed the teacup he'd been drinking from on the table.

Lana unclenched her hands, and exhaled before taking firm steps to where Julia was sitting, on the chair opposing him. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, gently coaxing her to stand as well.

"We are leaving," she announced, "and I'd advise you to reflect on what you've done before we return."

Julia showed no resistance as she rose, standing close by Lana, eyes pointed to the floor.

"What _have_ I done?" Seliph questioned, mildly annoyed.

Lana felt the anger rise through her, and chose not to answer him. She was focused on only one thing for the moment- getting Julia to someplace she could feel safe.

Julia's eyes were downcast, her face holding no apparent emotion as she let herself be led to the room they shared; but Lana had gotten to know her well enough to know that was not how she was truly feeling.

The walk to their room calmed her somewhat - she wasn't thundering anymore, at any rate. Lana sat Julia on her bed and did the same, so they were both sitting with their backs to the wall. Her hand found Julia's cold one as they sat in the silence, and in a moment Julia was holding on to it as tight as she could without hurting Lana.

Quietly, Julia spoke up, "Miss Lana, thank you for... standing up for me."

"It was nothing," Lana assured her, "Seliph really needs to learn to be more considerate. But more importantly, how... are you feeling?"

Julia bit her lip, and even before she spoke Lana knew she was going to say that she was fine. She pulled the other girl closer, letting go of her hand to slip an arm around her shoulder.

"It's okay... you don't have to pretend with me, Julia."

Julia took a shaky breath, and even before she spoke Lana could feel the trembling in her shoulders.

"It isn't... as bad as last time," she said, "but... if I may..."

As she spoke, Julia patted her shoulder. Lana grinned as she rested her head in the crook of Julia's neck, and she could feel some of the tension leave her body.

They sat in silence for a while, simply listening to the sound of each other's breathing. But soon enough Julia spoke up.

"I... do feel better now. Thank you, Miss Lana..."

"Don't mention it!" Lana grinned. "But really, you should stand up for yourself, Julia."

Julia frowned. "It doesn't... come naturally to me. Ever since I was a baby I... have been told to stay quieter, to... not make a fuss..."

"I know," Lana said, love in her eyes as she grasped Julia's hand. "And I can't tell you how angry that makes me, at everybody who treated you that way, who made you feel like you weren't- you weren't important enough..."

An affectionate smile played at Julia's lips. "Your anger... does me good. Please... be angry for me until I may be so myself."

"You know I will. I love you, Julia."

Julia simply tightened her grip on Lana's hand in response.

Lana needed to know, however. "Are the visions..."

"Yes," Julia choked out. It was as if with one sentence Lana had opened the floodgates, and Julia's words came tumbling out, one after another, coated in desperation and spoken in haste. She wrung her hands, gazing upward at something Lana could not see.

"It's so dark. I need light! I need... But I don't have time, I, _I have to get away!_ My child... my baby won't stop wailing, and there- there's a knife in my back. I can feel it through me. I can feel the blood. It's hot, and its pouring out... there's so much but I can't look at it, I don't have time, _I have to get away!_ It's, it's so painful, but I have to... I have to go!"

Lana drew Julia closer, hugged her as tight as she could. These visions of Julia's scared her, but she had only to imagine how much more they terrified the other girl to regain her courage. She had to be strong, she had to be grounding for Julia.

"It's okay. It's okay. Julia, I'm here with you. You're here with me. Everything is okay."

Julia drew in a shaky breath, her grip on Lana almost vice-like. "Yes. Yes, I... I'm okay."

"You're okay," Lana repeated.

"Why do I... keep having these visions...?" Julia spoke, frustration evident in her voice. "Is that... going to happen to... me?"

" _No!_ No," Lana emphasized. "It isn't. I will never let that happen. It's probably... a vision from the past."

"But I... I am not nearly old enough to have a past such as that," Julia said. In her visions, she knew she was old, a lot older than she was now.

"You might have been the baby," Lana said, grasping at straws. Anything, anyone _but_ the woman who was stabbed. Lana would _die_ before she let Julia have a death as horrendous as that.

"That... it's possible," Julia admitted. "Then, it would be my mother in the visions..."

Lana couldn't decide whether that was better or worse.

Julia swallowed the lump in her throat as she continued, "So my mother... that was likely how she... died..."

Lana stayed silent, trying to comfort the girl as best as she could through her touch.

* * *

 

"Truly, what _did_ I do wrong?"

Seliph mulled it over, trying and failing to reflect on the past hour.

"Do you still not understand?"

Seliph jerked; his hand flew to his sword - only to find nothing. Naturally, he took off his weapons when he wanted to rest. But the need for one quickly dissolved as Seliph saw a mop of green hair peek in through the window. Wasn't this... the third level of the castle...

"Lewyn," he recognized. "How long have you been there? I... did not notice your presence at all."

"Never mind that," the man replied, serene as ever despite the leaves caught in his hair.

"Oh, I... no, I can't say I understand it."

"Julia's sensitive," Lewyn informed him. "She can't listen to your terror stories without having nightmares, you know."

"Terror stories? I only asked her-"

"-if someone with a throat slit open by their dearest friend could be saved, I know. But what _you_ don't is that she really does not do well with unpleasant imagery like that."

"That's ridiculous. She's our best healer-"

"Oh, but there lies the difference. The intentions, you see? Julia will cut open people to heal them. Your little story has the man cutting open the other to kill him - in quite vivid detail, might I add."

"But-"

"Now, now, I'm not here to preach. But I will suggest you stop making excuses and just apologize. Not everyone is hurt by the same things..."

Seliph drew in a deep breath. "You're... right. It was my mistake. I'll apologize when I see her again. But how... how do you know about this?"

"I did take care of her for a while," Lewyn shrugged, "Even if I was not suited for the role much."

"I... see."

* * *

 

Sometime ago, they'd shifted to lying down, curled up next to each other. Julia's breathing had evened out, and she looked much more stable than she had earlier. Lana had lost a good bit of her temper as well - maybe she'd consider _not_ smacking Seliph with a staff the next time she saw him now.

"Miss Lana?" Julia said, unceremoniously given the role of the big spoon.

"Mm?"

"I... I love you too. I have so many problems, and I... I know nothing of my heritage, have nothing to my name, but... I'll stick by you, if you'll have me."

Lana swallowed the lump in her throat. Simply being able to look at Julia like this, at peace, with her soft, relaxed self nestled close to Lana's own body, her eyes so full of ardent love... it was everything Lana would ever need. She could die happy at any moment now, but she was beyond exhuberant at the prospect of living out the rest of her days together with Julia.

"Of course I will! I wouldn't have it be anyone else...! I love you, Julia. Let's stay together, forever and always..."

"Forever and always..." Julia repeated, a happy twinkle in her lovely eyes. "I would like that."

"As would I! Now, we need to get going! The children at the orphanage are going to go hungry if we dally much longer!"

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! i wrote this as a sort of comfort fic for... some similar situations happening irl... anyways, let me know what you thought about it down below! 
> 
> i always think there's got to be some sort of side-effects of using staves on children, especially literal babies. so maybe deirdre's will was so strong it imprinted itself on julia's mind with the help of the staff? or maybe it's just deirdre's soul calling out to her daughter. who knows?
> 
> love these girls and i'm glad i was able to write more than one fic about them!


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